Rettke named National Freshman of the Year, First-Team All-American

The records keep coming for Dana Rettke. The middle blocker on the Wisconsin volleyball team becomes the first Badger volleyball player to be named National Freshman of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), the organization announced on Wednesday.

She also becomes the first freshman in UW history to earn first-team All-America honors.

“It is such an honor and I am so thankful,” Rettke said. “I couldn’t have done this without my team so I would like to thank them for everything.”

On the season, Rettke was named the AVCA Northeast Regional Freshman of the Year and the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year. She was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week a record nine times and was a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week.

Rettke led the Badgers and ranks second in the Big Ten with a .443 hitting percentage. She also led the team and ranks 10th in the conference with 3.42 kills per set. The freshman had a team-best 1.37 blocks per set, which ranks third in the Big Ten. Rettke also ranks second on the team with 25 service aces (0.22 per set).

The Riverside, Illinois, native set UW season records for hitting percentage, breaking the all-time mark of .422 set by Haleigh Nelson in 2015. Rettke also set school season records under 25-point rally scoring for blocks per set (1.37) and points per set (4.39).

In Big Ten play, she set conference-only season records for kills (254), kills per set (3.39), hitting percentage (.433), block assists (94), total blocks (102), points (328.0) and points per set (4.37).

Williams, a 6-2 middle blocker, ranked second on the Badgers and third in the Big Ten with a .387 hitting percentage. A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Williams was also second on the team with 0.98 blocks per set while adding 2.44 kills per set.

A 6-0 setter, Hilley ranks second in the Big Ten with 11.76 assists per set. She led the team with 27 service aces this season while adding 2.02 digs, 0.66 kills and 0.64 blocks per set.

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Ryan Braun hit two of Milwaukee's four homers, Jhoulys Chacin struck out 10 in seven innings and the Brewers cut into Chicago's NL Central lead with a 7-0 victory over the Cubs on Tuesday. Lorenzo Cain homered on Jose Quintana's second pitch. Braun hit a two-run drive in the first and third. Erik Kratz added a solo homer in the sixth and an RBI double in the eighth. Chacin (12-4) allowed three hits and walked two. The right-hander is 6-1 in his past eight out...More >>

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For the fifth straight year, all under head coach Kelly Sheffield, the Wisconsin Badgers volleyball team enters the season with a top ten national rank in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) top-25 preseason poll.

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The Badgers have very few spots up for grabs on the offensive side of the ball with nine starters returning. One of the few holes to fill is at tight end following the departure of Troy Fumagalli to the NFL. Former Madison Memorial star Jake Ferguson is hoping to help fill the void.

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